Sediments pollution has been studied intensively in recent years. Pollutants generate an unignorable influence on hydro-environment in the transfer and transformation process and the absorption and release process. The foundation for research of such problem is to obtain representative samples.
The surface sediments which are mainly composed of water-saturated silts have poor bearing capacity and cannot support a sampling device, especially a large sampling device. However, under the effect of gravity, lower sediments are increasingly dense, making it more difficult to collect the bottom sediments. Current sediment samplers fall into two categories, surface sediment sampler and layered sediment sampler. Common surface sediment samplers use a grapple dredge and box dredge, and a shovel can also be used for direct acquisition for shallows, estuaries and other places. These samplers can satisfy the collection of surface sediment samples in most cases. The layered sediment sampler mainly includes all kinds of columnar sediment samplers and can be divided into two kinds: a gravity type sampler and a vibrational type sampler. The gravity type sediment sampler rushes into the sediments on the water bottom depending on its self-weight, so as to realize layered collection of sediment samples. Such sampler has the problems of easy inclination in the sampling process, heavy self-weight, sampling depth limited by self-weight, and the like, and has a higher requirement for sampling environment. The vibrational sediment sampler “liquefies” the sediments depending on frequency vibration to realize layered sampling, but the device is larger and is mainly applied in geological sampling currently while less applied in a water area environment.
Apparently, the above devices cannot completely solve the problems of complicated devices, heavy weight and low sampling efficiency in the collection of the columnar layered sediments. There is a need to develop a layered sediment sampler with light weight, high efficiency and good applicability.